Combined firing and fuse-regulating mechanism.



4 EHEETS-QHEBT 1.

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Patented 'May 25, 1909.

lllllllllll nl l llllllkll W. PRITsdH 5; A. SPRINGER FIRING AND FUSE REGULATING- MEGHANI APPLICATION FILED SBPT.VZ5, 1908.

ll llllm l COMBINED W. FRITSGH & A. SPRINGER. COMBINED FIRING AND FUSE REGULATING'MEGHANISM.

I APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 25, 1908. 922,877, Patented May 25,1909.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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I W.FRITSGH & A. SPRINGER. OOMBINED FIRING AND FUSE REGULATING MEGHANISM.

' APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 25, 1908.

Patented May .25, 1909.

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zg/gjnens filler-71g I W. FRITSGH @ZA. SPRINGERi COMBINED FIRING AND FUSE REGULATING MECHANISM.

A PPLIIIATION FIIIED SEPT. 25, 1908. Patented May 25, 4 SHEETS-SHEET 4;

i; H M I V y 4 77 b v I lw wvwwvI/wwwww W K v -x fim 5 g 12 9, 2?? Y5 g 2 H 2 14 UNITED-STATES PATEN QFFI()E w1LnELMrnrrscn, OF-MA IENBA 'AND ADALBERT SPRINGER, 'OF'PILSEN',

. AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

COMBINED rminennn FUSE-BEGULATING mncmmtsm.

N0. 922,877..- J Specification ofLetters Patent Patented May 1909. i j' v Application filed September 25,190s. Serial a... 454,612. i

To all whom it *niwy concern: v slipped or slid over the percussion bolt. The 55 'Be' itfknown that we, Wnnrnmi' Fnrrsou, P16115101} piece 6 carries van a n with pin 7 a subject of the Emperor of Austria, and engaged by the inner'end ot' tlnebcll-crank AnAL'B'nn'r SPRINGER, a subject of the E111- ,shaped retracting lever -Eigsjfiaiid 6 peror of. Austria, residing the first at whose 'fulcruln 8 ismountediif-closing piece Marienhad, Austria, the second at Pilsen', 1'. The retracting lever is heldiin a position 60 j Austria, have invented new and useful Imof rest by means of spring 10.](Fig.6).' I provements in Combined Firing land Fuse- The tension piece 6 carriesni trigger l1 Regulating Mechanisnu of which the followwhich under the action of a spring istpnessed' 10-.ingis a specification." I into engagement with l-ug -.12 onu percussion v This invention relates to a distance regubolt 2 thus causing the said percussion bolt 65 later for cannon, guns, etc by means of T p v, r i" to niove with the tension piece and coin-f which .anumber of discharges can 'be' fired iressthe actuating spring 3. to the same distance a single setting of A shell 13 (Fig. 10) .is slid onto the for the regulator scale. lleretofore the regu v V I v ward end of thepercussion bolt. Plate or later. had to be adjusted after each single cap l t 1s secured in the forward end of the 70 .shot -or discharge but the present. inventon percussion bolt and this cap will-cause the J overcomes this defect while at thesame time shell 13 to move. backward when the tension allowing arapid loading and discharging of 1 piece is retracted. The shell 13 has dia- 2-0the fire-arm. metrically opposed pins 15which fit into The. .adjustinei'it of the regulator, consists the screw-shaped grooves 16,16 in shell 17. 75 in setting a scale which in turn regulates the (Figs. 11 and 11*). This shell 17 is secured "moment of release for the percussion bolt. against-longitudinal movement but can i'o-' I causing-the discharge ot'the explosive which tate. Now when the tension piece 6 and propels the projectile or cannon ball. percussion bolt 2 with shell 13 and-plate 'or' This invention is set forth in the followcap His retracted by bell crank; lever 9 the 80 mg specification and clai ns and illustrated pins15 moving in the grooves 16, will cause in theannex'ed drawing, inwhich the shell 17 to describe a nearly complete, to-

v Figure 1 is a side view of a breech portion. tation in one direction while'the return roof a v cannon embodying this invention. Fig. tary motion will be effected when the tension this a sectionalside view of a cannon empiece6returns to its positiodof rest. The 85 bodying thisfinvcntion' andshowing the shell 17 has on its front lugs or projections -'p'artsina position of rest. Fig. is ;a like 18 (Figs. 1, .11 and 11) which when the vimvshowing the parts-in a posilionof tenclosing piece is set home engage in groove 3.5 sion.' Fig. A "is a. View similar to Fig. 2 197(F1g. 12)." This groove 19 is formed in showing-the parts at the noment. ofliring'. rod 21 'rotatablein the bottom ofthecar- 9t Fig. 5 1541 section along line A--B';1$ig: 1. tridge shell 20 and which rod is adapted to Fig.6 is a section along line C-l)' Fi 5. receive a percussion cap 22.

Fi s. 7 to arc detail views of parts 0 the ,The front end of the rod 21 imparts the firing and distance regulating inecl-ia 'iism on i rotary movement of-theshell 17 to the an enlarged scale. N sitioning disk of a double igniter 23 9 'Inthe". bove drawingthc muueral fzl"(Fig; .arra ed i'n'the bottom 0 the projectile. 2) indicates a closingjpiece orbfeeeh block This don leignit'er can be of any suitable Band: 2 indicates a percussion bolt with construction. The projectiles'heretbforehn l usne 'saidpercuss onbolt 2 ,1 located an ward end are thusdone away with and the 3 actuating spring?) and an abutment spring present constructionpresents the great ad- I at. .The percussion bolt. 2. as well as the tenvantage oi use of ,integral projectiles hav .sion piece 6 are slotted, throng 1 which slots i-ng hardened tips; These latter projectlles 5'0fabar 5 -extends.'j'lhis bar 5 ,is fixedly .secan be ysed'as shrapnell anda s grenades f cured in the closing-piece 1; The springs 3 against'targets which offer resistance. r s and'ltb'ear. against the bar l The percus- 'T In. order to regulate. the flight of the proif sion bolt '2 fits into the tension piece .6 or in j iectile within the maximum distance of shot other wo'rds the shell-like tension piece 6 is l to any desired point there is providedan adpol v onalcro'ss section (Figsfil, 'T la nd 8.) use which had the igniter at their tip or forj justable releasing nose 24 (Figs. 2 and 7) to release the trigger 11 from the lug 12 on the percussion cap or bolt 2.

When the tension piece 6 with shell 13 and percussion bolt 2 is moved by means of retracting lever 9 the free arm of the trigger 11 comes into contact with'releasing lug 24 whereby the said trigger will be disengaged tom the lug 12 on the percussion bolt.-(Fig, 3) whereupon the percussion bolt thus released isforced. into firing. position (Fig. 4)

under the influence of actuation sprin 3. Now if the retracting lever 9, is release or let go the tension piece with shell 13 imparts simultaneous return rotary mot-ionto shell 17 and returns to a position of rest (Fig. 2). v

In Figs. 2 and 7 the releasing lug 24 is shown in its extreme rear position in which position the shell 17 describes-an almost complete rotation before the trigger 1 1 disengages lug-12. In this position the pro jectile is fired to its greatest distance.

If it is now desired to fire the projectile to a less distant point the distance between the releasing lug 24'and trigger 11 is de creased which will cause the percussion bolt to come to its firing position earlier and also regulate the rotary motion of shell 17 and thus cause the projectile to be fired or discharged to a less distant point than heretofore.

If adjustment, for smaller trajectory is required the shell 13 remains stationary at. the moment of firing and the tension piece 6 continues its rearward or backward motion under the influence of retracting lever 9, the movement of which is always uniform.

The releasing lug 24 is carried by a movz." e rack which is in engagement with gear 25 (Figs. 2 to 5) mounted on spindle 27. To the spindle 27 is applied the spring or blade brake 26 and such spindle 27 also carries a hand wheel 28 provided with a'scale Fig. 1). To the breech or closing portion is secured a stationary indicator29 by means of which the distance to which the projectile is to be fired can be noted.

When the scale isturned in the direction of the arrow (Fig. 1) until the indicator 29 registers with the last mark or graduation on such scale the releasing lug or nose 24 will be set to its extreme left or rear position (Figs. 2A) in which case the time} igniter is set out of action and at the moment of firing the percussion igniter of the projectile. or grenade comes into action. The scale instead; ot-being secured to the hand wheel 28 could-be arranged directly on the closing piece h'nda finger or indicator secured to the spindle 27. could serve for the zujljustmcnt of the releasing nose 2 1.

The correct position of the cartridge or projectile in the loading space of the cannon is determined by a pointed thickening 30 (Figs. 1 to 3) engaging a similarly formed shoulder or depression in the wall of the bore or the loadin space. v

Now what we c aim is: -1. A device of the character described comprising a closing piece, a tension piece inside said closing piece, an arm with pin on the tension piece, a retracting bell crank lever engaging saidpin, a percussion bolt, slots in the tension piece and ercussion bolt, a retracting spring and an a utment spring in said percussion bolt, a bar secured in the closing piece extending throughthe slots in the tension piece and percussion bolt for bracing the springs in said percussion bolt, and means for releasing the to come into firin position.

2. A device of comprising a closing piece, a tension piece ,inside the closing p1eoe,-an armion the teninside the closing piece, a pin on the tension piece, a retracting percussion bolt in in the percussion bolt, slots in the tension piece and (percussion bolt, :1 spring bracing bar exten spring pressed tri ger for locking the percussion bolt to the tension piece, means for releasing said trigger, a shell on the forward end of the percussion bolt, a ca 'on the percussion bolt to hold said shell sh l, a second shell fitting over the first named shell and partly over the tension piece, and grooves in said second shell for receiving the pinson the first named shell named shell is moved.

at. A device of the character described "comprising a closing piece, a tension piece, a

percussion bolt the character described 7 3. A device of the character described comprising a ClOSlIlg piece, a tension piece mg through the said slots, 2..

= in" place, diametrically opposite pins on said lever engaging the'fpin', a the tension piece, springs to rotate the second shell when the first pin on the tension piece, a bell crank lever engaging said pin, a percussion bolt, springs 111 said percussion bolt, a bar bracing the said springs, a trigger for locking the percussion bolt to the tension piece, nieans for releasing said trigger to bring the percussion bolt to firing percussion bolt, pins on said shell, a second shell fitting over the first named shell and partlyover the tension p ece, groovcs'in said position, a shell on the A second shell adapted to be engaged by the pins on the first named shell torotate the second shell when the percussion bolt and tension iece are moved, projections on the front 0 the second shell, a cartridge shell having a rotar shaft provided with grooves for receiving t e projections on the front of engaging said pin, a percussion bolt, springs n the percussion bolt, a bar bracing said springs, a trigger for locking the percussion bolt to the tension piece, means for releasing said trigger to bring the percussion bolt to firing position, a reciprocating shell on the percussion bolt, pins on said shell, a rotary shell fitting over said reciprocating shell, grooves in said rotary shell' adapted to receive the pins on the reciprocating shell to rotate the rotary shell when the tension piece and percussion bolt are moved and a cartridge having a rotary shaft, said rotary shaft in the cartridge and rotary shell he ing ,in engagement with one another to to tate the time igniter of the cartridge.

6. A device of the character described comprising a percussion bolt, an adjusting device automatically actuated by the retraction of the percussion bolt and an igniter in the projectile, said adjusting device being made to control the position of the .igniter 'acc'oigding to the required trajectory. In testimony whereof We have hereunto set our hands in the presence of two subscribing witnesses,

VVILHELM FRITSOH. ADALBERT SPRINGER. Witnesses LUDWEG KOHN, slGMUND FREUND. 

